Vegalicious

Ever heard of vitamin water? I am sure you have. And have you ever wondered if it is all that it is promised to be? I know I have. While it is enticing to believe marketing tricks and start spending your hard earned money, buying cases of it, bottled in… pretty plastic :(, it is much cheaper and healthier to make your own vitamin water. You will reduce not only cost, but also ensure that you consume only the best of ingredients.  In this post you will learn how you can make your very own brand of Vitamin Water! 🙂

Last Saturday I was teaching a cooking class. Instead of buying or making unhealthy drinks or juices, I opted to make very tasty, not to mention beautiful, raspberry and mint vitamin water.

It was full of flavor, no sugar added, and full of vitamins.

Raspberry Properties

Raspberries are a great source of:

• Vitamin C
• Manganese
• Fiber
• Vitamin K
• Magnesium
• Folate
• Omega 3 fats
• Copper
• Vitamin E
• Potassium

Raspberries are a great antioxidant and are anti-inflammatory.  Growing up our Mom always made sure to preserve some for the winter, just in case we got sick. While back then she preserved them with sugar, these days she is doing it in a much better way–she picks them from her garden and freezes bags full to last after the raspberries growing season is over.  When we lived nearby I loved going through her freezer and stealing a few bags to add to our green smoothies. Naturally, nothing made Mom happier than knowing that her hard work was making me very happy (and healthy!).

Here is a partial list of phyto-nutrients in raspberries that provide us antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits:

• anthocyanins
  • cyanidins
  • pelargonidins
  • delphinidins
  • malvidins
• flavonols
  • quercetin
  • kaempferol
• flavanols
  • catechins
  • epicatechins
• flavonoid glycosides
  • tiliroside
• tannins
  • ellagitannins
  • gallotannins
  • proanthocyanidins
• hydroxybenzoic acids
  • ellagic acid
  • lambertianin
  • sanguiin
  • vanillic acid
  • gallic acid
  • chlorogenic acid
• hydroxycinnamic acids
  • caffeic acid
  • coumaric acid
  • ferulic acid
• stilbenoids
  • resveratrol

(source)

Mint Properties

Mint is not only one of the prettiest smelling plants, it is also full of:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Folate
• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• and even has naturally occurring sodium

While store-sold vitamin water is packed not only in chemical leaching plastic containers, the source of its vitamins is not clear, it is also made for long shelf life (more chemicals), and is packed with “natural” flavors (whatever those might be) and has added sugar.

Homemade vitamin water is 100% safe–you can pick only organic ingredients, you will avoid all chemicals, and you can store it in glass containers.  The way it tastes and looks will entice even the worst and the pickiest water drinkers you know. It is also a PERFECT drink to pack for your and your kiddos’ lunches.

How to make Vitamin Water

Ingredients

• 60 fluid oz. reverse osmosis or filtered water
• 1 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• leaves from 4-5 springs of mint

Preparation

• Place all ingredients into a glass container
• Allow water to sit 1-3 hours before enjoying it, so that the vitamins have time to combine with water
• Water will store well, refrigerated, for up to 3 days

For a more flavorful experience, grind or smash mint leaves first. The flavor and the smell of the drink will be heavenly!

Make sure to experiment with other ingredients. You can use lemons, strawberries, vanilla beans, oranges, limes, and anything else you can imagine. You can make different vitamin water for every day of the week. You will end up creating a different vitamin profile with every creation you make. And, if you were not ever a big water drinker up until now, this will give you a chance to change it all! You can ever take this beautiful elixir to a workout!

Let me know how your water turns out and what ingredients you experiment with.

Happy Drinking!